Rail-anchor.



B. B. BETTS.

RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1909.

1,108,121. Patented Aug. 25, 19m

BENJAMIN B. BETTS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAIL-ANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

Application filed January 25, 1909. Serial No. 474,144.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. Bn'r'rs,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis,Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inRail-Anchors, of which the following is a full,'true, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to means for preventing the longitudinal movementof creep ing of railroad rails and has particular reference toimprovements in devices of the class known as rail anchors oranti-creepers.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved anchor or abutmentbetween a rail and the tie which shall operate to prevent-movement ofthe rail across the tie.

Another object of my invention is to provide rail anchoring means ofthis class which may be readily applied tothe rail and adjusted toclamping position with a minimum amount of labor.

A further object; of the invention is to so improve rail anchoringdevices that the same shall be automatically tightened and in effectpermanently bound upon the rail by movement of the latter across thetie.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide improved railanchoring means which shall be of minimum weight, of low cost and greatstrength.

y invention consists generally in a rail anchor or anchoring meanscomprising a bar or plate of somewhat greater length than the width ofthe rail base and adapted for application to the bottom thereof, incombination with means on the ends of the plate for engagement withopposite base flanges of the rail and suitable means for coaction with across tie to operatively set and maintain the rail engaging means orparts in action upon the rail.

My invention also consists in various special forms, construction andfeatures and in combinations of parts, all embraced in the structuralprinciple next above outlined and therewith, hereinafter more fullydescribed and defined.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of a rail anchor embo .ying my invention; Fig. 2is an end View thereof; Fig. 3 illustrates my parallel motion railanchor. Fig. 4 is a transverse elevation thereof.

In both forms of my device shown in these drawings it will be observedthat the device comprises a plate or bar which reaches across the bottomof the rail, which is in some manner placed in abutment with or tied tothe cross tie in such manner as to admit of movement of the ends of theplate or bar and which is provided, at its ends with parts which areadapted to clamp, bear or cramp upon or against the edge portions of therail base.

Having thus generally defined my invention I will proceed to thespecific descrip- Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2: In these figures andthroughout the drawings A represents the rail and B the cross tie. Forbridge structures where there is but little room between the ties aswell as for other uses I form my device as shown in Figs. 1

and 2, the same comprising blocks 63, 63 which are oppositely disposed,to the end that they may act alternately during reversals of the tide oftraflic on the bridge. The blocks are of identical form and each has anangularly arranged abutment arm or strut 64.- terminating in a plate 64for engagement with the tie. The rail end of the part 63 comprises alarge rotary wedging hook 65, the under jaw of which projects somedistance beneath the rail. The two blocks are bound together by a crossbolt 66 and it is obvious that any force which tends to throw the boltout of perpendicular with the rail axis will cause the distance betweenthe jaws to diminish; hence both jaws will be the more forcibly jammedupon the rail flanges. The construction of the wedging lugs is such thattheir ends bite into the rail base and when thus engaged cannot bedislodged by vibration, removal of the bolt being the only means ofloosening the anchor. When the rail moves in the direction of the arrow0 the right hand abutment engages the tie toward which the rail movesand when the movement is reversed, as indicated by arrow at, the lefthand abutment is brought into play. It should be understood that thisexchange of abutments and in the working directions of the rail anchortakes place Without shifting the parts or changing the angularity of thebolts beneath the rail.

Comparison of Figs. 1 and 3 will make it clear that the advantages ofthe Fig. 1 device may be secured and accentuated by employing theprinciple oi parallel motion links. These links are, in Figs. 3 and 4t,the cross bolts 88, 88 having their ends secured in the blocks or jaws89, 89, the latter being provided with wedge members 89 and the Vgrooves therein being smaller at the bottoms than the edges of the rail.The part 89" of each block bears directly against the rail edge and theblocks occupy reverse positions so that but one thereof engages the tieltlovement oi the rail toward the tie blows the links or bolts 88 out ofparallel with the tie and one end of each bolt being limited in movementby the direct abutment part 89, both bolts act to draw the respectivewedge lugs or jaws more firmly upon the rail. This device, like thathereinbeiore described, is preferably reversible, to prevent excessivebackward movement of the rail when the tide of traffic is changed.

fhough I have herein shown but two forms of my invention it is capableof still further modification and I do not confine or limit theinvention to the precise constructions herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A Z shaped rail anchor of the character described comprising twoseparate, substantially-similar oppositely disposed jaws, said jawsbeing formed to grip the upper and lower surfaces of the rail base, butnot to contact with the edges thereof, a bolt passing through said jawsto draw the same together, and a tie engaging abutment projectinglaterally from each of said jaws and extending beyond the other of saidjaws to permit the movement of the latter jaw toward the tie and therebyeffect the rotative wedging action of said jaws on the rail base,substantially as described.

2. A rail anchor comprising opposed jaws "for engaging the base flangeof the rail, and parallel motion bolts connecting said jaws,substantially as described.

A. rail anchor comprising opposed jaws for engaging the opposite flangesof the rail base, and

tending laterally in opposite directions from the jaws at the oppositeends of said parallel motion bolts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 30th day ofOctober, 1908, in the presence of Copies of thispatent may be'obtainedfor five centseach, bfaddressing the Commissioneroffatents, Washington,D. 0.

parallel motion bolts connecting said jaws, and tie engaging abutmentsex-

